The third series of the Amazon motoring show The Grand Tour, starring ex-Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May alongside test driver Abbie Eaton premiered on the 18th of January, 2019 and finished on the 12th of April 2019. Initially this series was expected to consist of 12 episodes based on the show's contract however, it was later revealed that 14 episodes had been filmed for the shows finale, with two specials being featured, this series. Two other non studio segmented episodes were featured this series as well.
Studio segments were filmed in the tent at the same location as the last series in the Cotswolds which began in October and concluded in December. This was the last series to feature these segments.
During the big finale episode "Funeral for a Ford" it was revealed that a fourth series would begin production but lose the current format of the show and focus mainly on specials. These would no longer air weekly but have several months gaps between them. The first one "Seamen" aired in December 2019.
Episodes[]
| Episode | Synopsis | Track Test |
|---|---|---|
| Motown Funk | The presenters head to Detroit, horrified to learn that this once great motor city is now being used to farm Organic Kale. To solve this they each bring three powerful muscle cars in a battle of good vs evil. | McLaren Senna (Clarkson) |
| Colombia Special Part 1 | (Colombia Special, Pt. 1) The presenters head to South America in an epic bid to become wildlife photographers from the seats of three very old off-roaders. | None |
| Colombia Special Part 2 | (Colombia Special, Pt. 2) The presenters wildlife photography mission continues in Colombia. | None |
| Pick Up, Put Downs | The presenters put a trio of pickup trucks by VW, Ford, and Mercedes to the test to see if they would cope in the warzones of the developing world. | Jaguar XE Project 8 (Clarkson) |
| An Itchy Urus | Clarkson heads to Sweden to Drive the Lamborghini Urus up a Ski Slope before racing Eaton on an interesting race track. Back at home Hammond pays tribute to Jim Clark. | Alpine A110 (May) |
| Chinese Food for Thought | Clarkson, Hammond, and May head to Chongqing in an effort to convince local Chinese businessmen of the merits of owning a secondhand luxury car. Clarkson also tests the Hongqi L5. | NIO EP9 (Hammond) |
| Well Aged Scotch | The presenters head to Scotland for a three-way shootout between three very old classic cars of yesteryear; the Alfa Romeo GTV6, Lancia Gamma Coupé, and Fiat X1/9. | BMW M5 vs Alpina B5 (Clarkson) |
| International Buffoons' Vacation | The team are sent on an RV trip before they are challenged to design and build the perfect motorhome before heading to the deserts of Nevada to test their creations. They also test several American Performance Cars. | None |
| Aston, Astronauts and Angelina's Children | Clarkson performs a thorough and ambitious test of the Citroen C3 Aircross. Meanwhile May heads to the US to look back at the cars Driven by the Astronauts. | Aston Martin Vantage (Hammond) |
| The Youth Vote | Clarkson, Hammond, and May put a selection of new hatchbacks from Ford, VW and Toyota to the test around the Enstone Track before setting off on a marketing excercise to see which is the most appealing to millennials. | Lamborghini Countach vs Ferrari Testarossa (Hammond & May) |
| Sea to Unsalty Sea | The trio head off an epic journey across Georgia and Azerbaijan in an Aston Martin, a Bentley, and a BMW. | None |
| Legends and Luggage | May looks into the history of the Porsche 917 and it's victories at LeMans. Clarkson and Hammond have a go at building motorised suitcases testing there creations at Stansted Airport. | Lancia Stratos MAT and Lancia Delta Futurista (Clarkson) |
| Survival of the Fattest | (Mongolia Special) Clarkson, Hammond, and May are dropped into the wilds of Mongolia and given a flat-packed off-roader to assemble and drive to civilization and safety. | None |
| Funeral for a Ford | In the series finale, the team bid a touching farewell to the Ford Cortina, Mondeo and other mid-sized Ford saloons. | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (Hammond) |
Production[]
Filming for the series began sometime near the end of January in Colombia for a delayed special due to air in the second series but due to Hammond's accident and Clarkson's Pneumonia it was delayed to the third. Filming for pre-recorded segments concluded in October 2018 in Lincoln.
Studio Segments[]
Studio segments started filming on October 31st 2018 and concluded on December 12th 2018. Like the series before the studio was based in the Cotswolds. Series 3 will be the last time that the Tent will be utilised for The Grand Tour and the last time the presenters perform studio segments.
Changes from Season 2[]
For this series Celebrity Face Off was dropped as they were not popular segments and each episode would dedicate more time for films.
Reception[]
Unlike its predecessors, Series 3 of The Grand Tour was met with almost universal acclaim. "Motown Funk", "The Colombia Special", "Sea to Unsalty Sea" and nearly all other episodes received overwhelmingly positive reviews. The only episode which proved unpopular was "Pick Up Put Downs", and was mostly due to its' scripted nature and due to the fact it was filmed much earlier than the rest of the series. The ratings in general went up from the overall series with 8.7/10 on IMDB.
Known Items[]
- A special in Colombia with May in a Fiat Panda 4x4, Clarkson in a Jeep Wrangler and Hammond in a Chevrolet Silverado. The trio are believed to have travelled from Cartagena on Colombia's northern coast to the nation's capital, Bogota, in an effort to film a nature documentary. (2,3)
- A second special involving the trio camping in Mongolia. Many believe that the team were challenged to build a car and drive it to civilisation. (13)
- Clarkson testing the Lamborghini Urus at Arjeplog in Sweden alongside Abbie Eaton in a 911 Turbo S. (5)
- Clarkson was spotted in St Maurice chasing a De Tomaso Pantera in a Citroen C3 Aircross. (9)
- Clarkson and Hammond were spotted testing some motorised suitcases at Stansted Airport. (12)
- The trio testing a series of classic Italian sports cars, Clarkson in an Alfa Romeo GTV6, May in a Lancia Gamma Coupe and Hammond in a Fiat X19, in Scotland. (7)
- The team were spotted filming in Wales with three pick up trucks. A Volkswagen Amarok for Clarkson, Mercedes X-Class used by May, and a Ford Ranger driven by Hammond. (4)
- The team were spotted filming in London with a Ford Fiesta ST used by Hammond and a Volkswagen Polo GTI enjoyed by Clarkson. (10)
- The trio were spotted in Detroit filming with some muscle cars. Hammond driving a Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, May enjoying a Hennessy Camaro Exorcist and Clarkson drifting a Ford Mustang RTR. (1)
- The team were spotted in Chongqing driving several secondhand luxury cars, Clarkson was driving a BMW 7 Series (E38), May had chosen a Mercedes S Class and Hammond was spotted in a Cadillac STS. Clarkson was also spotted driving an Hongqi L5. (6)
- The team were spotted in Arizona creating three Motorhomes. Clarkson appeared to be driving the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. (8)
- The team were spotted filming in Georgia in super GT's, Clarkson in an Aston Martin DBS Superlegerra, Hammond with a Bentley Continental GT and May using the BMW M850i. (11)
- The team were spotted filming in Lincoln with some classic Fords. (14)
- Cars tested round the Eboladrome include: Alpine A110, Aston Martin Vantage, McLaren Senna, NIO EP9, Jaguar XE SV Project 8, Lamborghini Countach, Lancia Stratos and Delta Furista.
Gallery[]
Trailer[]
The Grand Tour- Season 3 Trailer